Coat and hat hanger.



No. 763,461. PATENTED JUNE 28, 1904.

M.,H. & B. F. 'BURTON.\ GOAT AND HAT HANGER.

AIPLIOATION FILED un 16, 190s.

NO MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented June 28, 1904.

PATENT OEEicE.

MANOUS H. BURTON, OF CEDAR RAPIDS, A AND BENJAMIN F. BURTON, OF WATERLOO, IOWA.

COAT AND1-HAAT HANGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 763,461, dated June 28, 1904.

Application flied may 16, 1903. strati Nt. 157,490. t (No model.) i

.To f/,ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, MANoUs H. BURTON, residing at Cedar Rapids, in the county of Linn, and BENJAMIN FQBURTON, residing at /Vaterloo, in the county of Blackhawk, State ot' Iowa, citizens of the United States, have` invented certain new and useful Improvements in GoatY and Hat Hangers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for locking coats and hats in hotels and other public places; and the object of the invention is to produce a simple, cheap, and durable device for the purpose and adapted to hold securely a hat or garment hung upon it.

The nature ot' the invention will fully appear from the description and claims following, reference being had to the-accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front view of a locker embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a side View of the same, partly sectional. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front View showing a modification in construction. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the lock. Fig. 5 is a cross-section of the same in the line (it Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the key.

In the drawings, A is a base-plate, of comparatively thin and narrow steel, which may be attached directly to the wall, but is preferably secured to a base-block B and is fastened to the wall by screws C C. To the baseplate is secured, as by riveting, one or more hooks D, forming supports for hats, coats, or other garments. To the base-plate is also attached the lock, which will be described hereinafter. Directly over the base-plate is a sliding plate E, provided with hooks F, which may be similar to the hooks D, but inverted. All the hooks are tipped with elastic end pieces G, of rubber or other suitable material. The lower hooks pass through slots E in the sliding plate, which may thus move up or down a limited distance to allow a hat or coat to be placed between the hooks-easily. At some suitable place (the lower end, as herein illus- Y entering the lock-case H through suitable openings therein. Within the lock-case is pivoted a pawl I, normally held in engagement with the serrated plate by a spring J. The pawl is released by the engagement of a key K with an extension or tail of the pawl I. The sliding plate is preferably returned to elevated position when released by the pawl by a spring L, connecting with the plate at one end and at the other end attached to the base-block by a suitable pin M or the like. Provision is made for the action ot' this spring 6o by slotting the base-plate atA'. This spring might be dispensed with and the sliding plate raised bythe hand of the operator; but the automatic action is preferred.

Hats or garments placed in the position indicated are locked between the tips of the upper and lower hooks by simply drawing down the slide-plate and its connected hooks, one of the hooks being used for the purpose.

Ordinarily there is so little dierence between the thickness of a hat-crown and thc material of a coat that the elasticity of the tips is sufficient to allow for both being held at the same time and by the same action. Provision is made, however, for wide diferences in this respect or for independent use of the hooks altogether. In this case the depending hooks are each mounted on a sepa- .rate slide-bar E3, one of which may lie on either side of the upturncd hooks` as shown 8O in Fig. 3. Both slide-bars are serrated and enter the lock-case, as shown in Fig. 5. A single wide-nosed pawl would serve to lock both at once; but two pawls are preferred. Between their ends the slide-bars are guided and held in place by one or'more stirrups N. In its simplest form the lock is composed of thecase, (two pieces'oil thin steel bent in stirrup form and fitting together, as shown,) a pawl with a spring to press it into engagement with the notches of the slide-bar, and a key having a lateral extension to engage the tail of the pawl. For greater security against picking, however, the lock is provided with a ward-plate O, with one or more projections O' thereon, and the wing of the key opposite the pawl is notched at K' to allow the projection to pass as the key is turned. A'great many changes may be made in the locks and keys by shifting the positions of the pawllifting fingers K2 and of the notches in the opposite wing, the positions of the pawls and ot' the ward projections being made to register therewith, ot' course. The pawls may be easily shifted by the interposition of washers Q and the projections on the ward -plate as easily changed in the initial operation ot' punching. As a further safeguard against the lock-pick a stop-plate R may be pivoted in the lock-case so as to hang normallyT in a position to lock the pawl. When the key is inserted and turned, however, a nger K3 engages the inclined face of a depending linger R and lifts the stop-plate into register with a notch 12in the pawl. Vhen depressed, the finger R' rests on a stop-stud S. The turn ot' the key is also limited by a stud T, which engages a shoulder K Ki.

IVherever possible the partsotl the locker are formed of wrought-steel punched and stamped in the proper forms. By reason ot' this the device is made unbreakable and a neat, light, and inexpensive device is secured.

Instead of solid and comparatively thick metal for the hooks, as indicated in Fig. 3, the hooks maybe died out of thin material with a web at each side, as shown in FigzQ. In this case a band may be formed at the outer end to embrace the neck ot' the rubber tip as pressed thereon.

One of the special advantages arising from this constructionis that the locker admits and holds articles differing greatly in thickness, the range of notches in the slide -plate being great enough to lock anything from a handkerchief to a parcel of considerable size.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isww l. A locker for hats or coats, comprising a flat base plate with a hook attached thereto, a similar slide-plate with an oppositely-disposed hook attached thereto, a slot in the slide-plate through which the hook of the base-plate extends, a stirrup to hold the two plates in sliding contact, face to face, a series of notches in the face of the slide-plate, and a lock to engage therewith, the lock-case being attached to the baseplate with an opening to receive the serrated portion ot' the slideplate, substantially as described.

2. In a locker, the combination of a narrow, straight, fiat base-plate, provided with a hat-hook,.a stirrup, and a lock, a similar slideplate `with an oppositely projecting hook thereon, slotted to allow the base-plate hook to pass through it and theslide-plate to move up and down, a series of notches in the face of the slide-plate, a pawl in the lock to engage the same, a slot in the baseeplate, and a spring mounted therein, one end connecting with the slide-plate and the other Withthe base-plate.

In testimony whereofl we ailix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

MANOUS H. BURTON. BENJAMIN F. BURTON. IVitnesses for Manous H. Burton:

J. M. ST. JOHN, F. J. KUBICEK. Titnesses for B. F. Burton:

F. I. HURsT, H. M. CowLEs. 

